[138] It is quite delightful to read the account, in the Dict. Hist., published at Caen, 1789, (vol. vi., p. 475) of Jean Pierre Niceron; whose whole life seems to have been devoted to bibliography and literary history. Frank, amiable, industrious, communicative, shrewd, and learned—Niceron was the delight of his friends, and the admiration of the public. His "Memoires pour servir à l'Histoire des Hommes Illustres, &c., avec un Catalogue raisonné de leur Ouvrages," was published from the years 1729 to 1740, in forty crown 8vo. volumes. A supplement of three volumes, the latter of which is divided into two parts, renders this very useful, and absolutely necessary, work complete in 44 volumes. The bibliomaniac can never enjoy perfect rest till he is in possession of it!
[139] Quirini published his "Specimen variæ Literaturæ quæ in urbe Brixiæ ejusque Ditione paulo post Typographiæ incunabula florebat," &c., at Brescia, in 1739; two vols., 8vo.: then followed "Catalogo delle Opere del Cardinale Quirini uscite alla luce quasi tuttee da' Torchi di mi Gian Maria Rizzardi Stampatore in Brescia," 8vo. In 1751, Valois addressed to him his "Discours sur les Bibliothéques Publiques," in 8vo.: his Eminence's reply to the same was also published in 8vo. But the Cardinal's chief reputation, as a bibliographer, arises from the work entitled "De Optimorum Scriptorum Editionibus." Lindaugiæ, 1761, 4to. This is Schelhorn's edition of it, which is chiefly coveted, and which is now a rare book in this country. It is a little surprising that Lysander, in his love of grand national biographical works, mingled with bibliographical notices, should have omitted to mention the Bibliotheca Lusitana of Joaov and Barbosa, published at Lisbon, 1741, in four magnificent folio volumes. A lover of Portuguese literature will always consider this as "opus splendidissimum et utilissimum."
[140] La Bibliothéque Françoise, ou Histoire de la Littérature Françoise, of Claude Pierre Goujet, in eighteen volumes, crown 8vo., 1741, like the similar work of Niceron, is perhaps a little too indiscriminate in the choice of its objects: good, bad, and indifferent authors being enlisted into the service. But it is the chéf-d'œuvre of Goujet, who was a man of wonderful parts; and no bibliographer can be satisfied without it. Goujet was perhaps among the most learned, if not the "facile princeps," of those who cultivated ancient French literature. He liberally assisted Niceron in his Memoires, and furnished Moreri with 2000 corrections for his Dictionary.
[141] The "Bibliothèque Curieuse, Historique et Critique, ou Catalogue raisonné de Livres difficiles à trouver," of David Clement, published at Gottingen, Hanover, and Leipsic, in 9 quarto volumes, from the year 1750 to 1760—is, unfortunately, an unfinished production; extending only to the letter H. The reader may find a critique upon it in my Introduction to the Greek and Latin Classics, vol. i., p. 370; which agrees, for the greater part, with the observations in the Bibl. Crevenn., vol. v., 290. The work is a sine quâ non with collectors; but in this country it begins to be—to use the figurative language of some of the German bibliographers—"scarcer than a white crow,"—or "a black swan." The reader may admit which simile he pleases—or reject both! But, in sober sadness, it is very rare, and unconscionably dear. I know not whether it was the same Clement who published "Les cinq Années Littéraires, ou Lettres de M. Clément, sur les ouvrages de Littérature, qui ont parus dans les Années 1748—á 1752;" Berlin, 1756, 12mo., two volumes. Where is the proof of the assertion, so often repeated, that Clement borrowed his notion of the above work from Wendler's Dissertatio de variis raritatis librorum impressorum causis, Jen., 1711, 4to.?—Wendler's book is rare among us: as is also Berger's Diatribe de libris rarioribus, &c., Berol. 1729, 8vo.
[142] The principal biographical labours of this clever man have the following titles: "Histoire de l'Imprimerie," La Haye, 1740, 4to.—an elegant and interesting volume, which is frequently consulted by typographical antiquaries. Of Mercier's supplement to it, see note in the ensuing pages under the word "Mercier." His "Dictionnaire Historique, ou Memoires Critiques et Littéraires," in two folio volumes, 1758, was a posthumous production; and a very extraordinary and amusing bibliographical common-place book it is! My friend Mr. Douce, than whom few are better able to appreciate such a work, will hardly allow any one to have a warmer attachment to it, or a more thorough acquaintance with its contents, than himself—and yet there is no bibliographical work to which I more cheerfully or frequently turn! In the editor's advertisement we have an interesting account of Marchand: who left behind, for publication, a number of scraps of paper, sometimes no bigger than one's nail; upon which he had written his remarks in so small a hand-writing that the editor and printer were obliged to make use of a strong magnifying glass to decypher it—"et c'est ici (continues the former) sans doute le premier livre qui n'ait pu être imprimé sans le secours continuel du Microscope." Marchand died in 1753, and left his MSS. and books, in the true spirit of a bibliomaniac, to the University of Leyden. I see, from the conclusion of this latter authority, that a new edition of Marchand's History of Printing was in meditation to be published, after the publication of the Dictionary. Whether Mercier availed himself of Marchand's corrected copy, when he put forth his supplement to the latter's typographical history, I have no means of ascertaining. Certainly there never was a second edition of the Histoire de l'Imprimerie, by Marchsnd.
Perhaps I ought to have noticed the unoccupied niche under which the name of Vogt[143] is inscribed; the title of whose work has been erroneously considered more seductive than the contents of it. As we go on, we approach Fournier; a man of lively parts, and considerable taste. His works are small in size, but they are written and printed with singular elegance.[144] See what a respectable and almost dignified air the highly finished bust of the pensionary Meerman[145] assumes! Few men attained to greater celebrity in his day; and few men better deserved the handsome things which were said of him. Polite, hospitable, of an inquisitive and active turn of mind—passionately addicted to rare and curious books—his library was a sort of bibliographical emporium, where the idle and the diligent alike met with a gracious reception. Peace to the manes of such a man! Turn we now round to view the features of that truly eminent and amiable bibliographer, De Bure!
[143] The earliest edition of Vogt's Catalogus Librorum Rariorum was published in 1732; afterwards in 1737; again in 1748; again in 1752, much enlarged and improved; and, for the last time, greatly enlarged and corrected, forming by far the "editio optima," of the work—at Frankfort and Leipsic, 1793, 8vo.—We are told, in the new preface to this last edition, that the second and third impressions were quickly dispersed and anxiously sought after. Vogt is a greater favourite with me than with the generality of bibliographers. His plan, and the execution of it, are at once clear and concise; but he is too prodigal of the term "rare." Whilst these editions of Vogt's amusing work were coming forth, the following productions were, from time to time, making their appearance, and endeavouring perhaps to supplant its reputation. First of all Beyer put forth his Memoriæ Historico-Criticæ Librorum Rariorum. Dresd. and Lips., 1734, 8vo.; as well has his Arcana Sacra Bibliothecarum Dresdensium, 1738, 8vo.—with a continuation to the latter, preceded by an epistle concerning the electoral library, separately published in the same year. Then Engel (in Republicâ Helveto-Bernensi Bibliothecarius primus) published his Bibliotheca selectissima, sive Catalogus librorum in omni genere scientiarum rarissimorum, &c., Bernæ, 1743, 8vo.; in which work some axioms are laid down concerning the rarity of books not perhaps sufficiently correct; but in which a great deal of curious matter, very neatly executed, will repay the reader for any expense he may incur in the purchase of it. Afterwards Freytag's Analecta Literaria de libris rarioribus, Lips., 1750, two vols. 8vo.;—and his Adparatus Literarius ubi libri partim antiqui partim rari recensentur, Lipsiæ, 1755, three volumes 8vo., highly gratified the curious in bibliography. In the former work the books are described alphabetically, which perhaps is the better plan: in the latter, they are differently arranged, with an alphabetical index. The latter is perhaps the more valuable of the two, although the former has long been a great favourite with many; yet, from Freytag's own confession, he was not then so knowing in books, and had not inspected the whole of what he described. They are both requisite to the collector; and their author, who was an enthusiast in bibliography, ranks high in the literature of his country. In the last place we may notice the Florilegium Historico-Criticum Librorum Rariorum, cui multa simul scitu jucunda intersperguntur, &c., of Daniel Gerdes; first published at Groningen, in 1740; but afterwards in 1763, 8vo., at the same place, the third and best edition. It was meant, in part, to supply the omission of some rare books in Vogt: and under this title it was published in the Miscellaneæ Groninganæ, vol. ii., and vol. iii. This work of Gerdes should have a convenient place in every bibliographical cabinet. I will close this attempt to supply Lysander's omission of some very respectable names connected with bibliography by exhorting the reader to seize hold of a work (whenever it comes across him, which will be rarely) entitled Bibliotheca Librorum Rariorum Universalis, by John Jacob Bauer, a bookseller at Nuremberg, and printed there in 1770, 8vo., two vols.; with three additional volumes by way of Supplement, 1774-1791, which latter are usually bound in one. It is an alphabetical Dictionary, like Vogt's and Fournier's, of what are called rare books. The descriptions are compendious, and the references respectable, and sometimes numerous. My copy of this scarce, dear, and wretchedly-printed, work, which is as large and clean as possible, and bound in pale Russia, with marbled edges to the leaves—cost me 5l. 5s.
[144] We are indebted to Pierre Simon Fournier le jeune, for some very beautiful interesting little volumes connected with engraving and printing. 1. Dissertation sur l'Origine et les Progrés de l'art de Graver en Bois, &c., Paris, 1758, 8vo. 2. De l'Origine et des Productions de l'Imprimerie primitive en taille de bois, Paris, 1759, 8vo. 3. Traité sur l'Origine et les Progrés de l'Imprimerie, Paris, 1764. 4. Observations sur un Ouvrage intitulé Vindiciæ Typographicæ, Paris, 1760. These treatises are sometimes bound in one volume. They are all elegantly printed, and rare. We may also mention—5. Epreuves de deux petits caractères nouvellement gravès, &c., Paris, 1757; and especially his chef-d'œuvre. 6. Manuel Typographique, Paris, 1764-6, 8vo., two vols.: of which some copies want a few of the cuts: those upon large paper (there is one of this kind in the Cracherode collections) are of the first rarity. Fournier's typographical manual should be in every printing office: his types "are the models (says his namesake,) of those of the best printed books at Paris at this day." Dict. Port. de Bibliogr., p. 218, edit. 1706.
[145] The Origines Typographicæ of Meerman, which was published at the Hague in two handsome quarto volumes, 1765, (after the plan or prospectus had been published in 1761, 8vo.), secured its author a very general and rather splendid reputation, till the hypothesis advanced therein, concerning Laurence Coster, was refuted by Heinecken. The reader is referred to a note in the first volume of my new edition of the Typographical Antiquities of Great Britain, p. xxxi. It is somewhat singular that, notwithstanding Meerman's hypothesis is now exploded by the most knowing bibliographers, his dissertation concerning the claims of Haerlem should have been reprinted in French, with useful notes, and an increased catalogue of all the books published in the Low Countries, during the 15th century. This latter work is entitled "De l'Invention de l'Imprimerie, ou analyse des deux ouvrages publiés sur cette matière par M. Meerman, &c.; suivi d'une notice chronologique et raisonnée des livres avec et sans date," Paris, 1809, 8vo. The author is Mons. Jansen. Prefixed there is an interesting account, of Meerman. Lysander might have noticed, with the encomium which it justly merits the Vindiciæ Typographicæ of Schoepflin, printed at Strasburg, in 1760, 4to.; where the claimes of Gutenburg (a native of the same city) to the invention of the typographic art are very forcibly and successfully maintained.
Lis. You absolutely transport me! I see all these interesting busts—I feel the delicious coolness of the grotto—I hear the stream running over a bed of pebbles—The zephyrs play upon my cheeks—O dolt that I was to abuse——